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EDITOR'S OPINION

Who loses an uncontested race?

Published: Sunday, August 24, 2014 at 6:01 a.m.

Last Modified: Sunday, August 24, 2014 at 12:17 a.m.

If anything amazing came out of last week's sign-ups for the Nov. 4 elections it's how many local candidates won without opposition.

Eleven of the 15 Lafourche Parish School Board seats are now filled for the four-year terms that start Jan. 1. Even three of the seats that had no incumbent were filled by newcomers who faced no opposition.

There won't be any elections for state district judge in Terrebonne Parish this fall. All of those seats were filled last week after a sole candidate signed up for each — four incumbents and one newcomer.

Four of the nine incumbent Terrebonne School Board members won re-election after no one ran against them. That's almost a majority. And it comes after the Houma-Terrebonne Chamber of Commerce waged what now — based on the results — looks like a feeble effort to encourage candidates to run for School Board seats.

Same goes for Thibodaux small business owner John Toups' campaign to encourage candidates to sweep Mayor Tommy Eschete and all of the City Council members out of office. Eschete won last week without opposition, along with three of the City Council's five incumbents.

The list goes on, but something's going on here. Lots of people in our community would make great candidates and elected officials. You probably know some of them. You might be one yourself.

So why are so few running?

At least two possibilities come to mind:

-- Voters are so pleased with the performance of many local government officials that qualified candidates feel no need to run against them.

-- We've got a leadership void in our community.

Which do you think is more likely?

It think it's a combination of the two. Quite a few public officials are doing a good job, so maybe there is a reluctance to run against some of them.

Nonetheless, a vibrant community full of ideas and action ought to have enough people interested in leadership and public service to ensure that every race for a political office goes contested.

Good elected officials understand this, and they are willing and able to show voters who is the best candidate, regardless of who runs against them. The best have strong records of achievement and public service that make them hard to beat.

So why is are so many races going uncontested around here?

Well, to clarify, it's not just here.

Anna Staver, a columnist with the Statesman Journal in Salem, Oregon, asked the same the same question in a May 8 essay after many candidates won uncontested elections in her state and community.

The reasons people who have studied the issue gave her are varied, and some amount to educated guesses.

Jim Moore, a political science professor at Pacific University, told Staver it's not because the public has grown increasingly fond of incumbents.

"There used to be a risk-taking culture where people would run for office even if they knew they were going to lose," Moore said. "We have candidates now who are focused too much on getting the job rather than representing ideas."

Surf the Internet and you'll find pundits, professors and politicians offering a long list of reasons qualified people won't run for office. It's too much effort for too little reward. Apathy. Lack of time or interest in politics. Unwillingness to engage in the necessary comprises required to get things done. Not interested in fund-raising. Repelled by the public scrutiny and criticism that come with the job. Too busy with a day job or family. Fear of losing, especially after a hard-fought, expensive campaign. The list goes on.

Moore offers one reason all of this matters.

"Not having opposition denies the voters the chance to hold the candidates accountable in a meaningful way," Staver quotes him as saying. "If there isn't an opponent, lawmakers can do whatever they want because there is no one there to challenge them."

Too bad — for our community and our democracy — that more people around here aren't up to the challenge. We know who wins when a race goes uncontested. Take a guess who loses.

Executive Editor Keith Magill can be reached at 857-2201 or keith.magill@houmatoday.com.

<p>If anything amazing came out of last week's sign-ups for the Nov. 4 elections it's how many local candidates won without opposition.</p><p>Eleven of the 15 Lafourche Parish School Board seats are now filled for the four-year terms that start Jan. 1. Even three of the seats that had no incumbent were filled by newcomers who faced no opposition.</p><p>There won't be any elections for state district judge in Terrebonne Parish this fall. All of those seats were filled last week after a sole candidate signed up for each — four incumbents and one newcomer.</p><p>Four of the nine incumbent Terrebonne School Board members won re-election after no one ran against them. That's almost a majority. And it comes after the Houma-Terrebonne Chamber of Commerce waged what now — based on the results — looks like a feeble effort to encourage candidates to run for School Board seats.</p><p>Same goes for Thibodaux small business owner John Toups' campaign to encourage candidates to sweep Mayor Tommy Eschete and all of the City Council members out of office. Eschete won last week without opposition, along with three of the City Council's five incumbents.</p><p>The list goes on, but something's going on here. Lots of people in our community would make great candidates and elected officials. You probably know some of them. You might be one yourself.</p><p>So why are so few running?</p><p>At least two possibilities come to mind: </p><p>-- Voters are so pleased with the performance of many local government officials that qualified candidates feel no need to run against them.</p><p>-- We've got a leadership void in our community.</p><p>Which do you think is more likely?</p><p>It think it's a combination of the two. Quite a few public officials are doing a good job, so maybe there is a reluctance to run against some of them.</p><p>Nonetheless, a vibrant community full of ideas and action ought to have enough people interested in leadership and public service to ensure that every race for a political office goes contested. </p><p>Good elected officials understand this, and they are willing and able to show voters who is the best candidate, regardless of who runs against them. The best have strong records of achievement and public service that make them hard to beat.</p><p>So why is are so many races going uncontested around here?</p><p>Well, to clarify, it's not just here.</p><p>Anna Staver, a columnist with the Statesman Journal in Salem, Oregon, asked the same the same question in a May 8 essay after many candidates won uncontested elections in her state and community.</p><p>The reasons people who have studied the issue gave her are varied, and some amount to educated guesses.</p><p>Jim Moore, a political science professor at Pacific University, told Staver it's not because the public has grown increasingly fond of incumbents.</p><p>"There used to be a risk-taking culture where people would run for office even if they knew they were going to lose," Moore said. "We have candidates now who are focused too much on getting the job rather than representing ideas."</p><p>Surf the Internet and you'll find pundits, professors and politicians offering a long list of reasons qualified people won't run for office. It's too much effort for too little reward. Apathy. Lack of time or interest in politics. Unwillingness to engage in the necessary comprises required to get things done. Not interested in fund-raising. Repelled by the public scrutiny and criticism that come with the job. Too busy with a day job or family. Fear of losing, especially after a hard-fought, expensive campaign. The list goes on.</p><p>Moore offers one reason all of this matters.</p><p>"Not having opposition denies the voters the chance to hold the candidates accountable in a meaningful way," Staver quotes him as saying. "If there isn't an opponent, lawmakers can do whatever they want because there is no one there to challenge them."</p><p>Too bad — for our community and our democracy — that more people around here aren't up to the challenge. We know who wins when a race goes uncontested. Take a guess who loses.</p><p><i>Executive Editor Keith Magill can be reached at 857-2201 or keith.magill@houmatoday.com.</i></p>